The King's Daughters

This file is a compilation of lists detailing the NAME, MARRIAGE DATE/PLACE, and HUSBAND(S) of each of the women known as the "King's Daughters". The lists that I used as reference were originally compiled by Elmer Courteau and Joy Reisinger.

These women, known in French as the "fille du roi", agreed to travel to the new settlements in North America and marry a settler there in exchange for a 50 pound dowry from the French King. Of the nearly 1000 women who undertook the journey, about 800 made it to Canada.

They made contracts of marriage with the men who had originally settled the New World and usually married within a few days or weeks of the contract signing. Often the women broke the contracts, only to remake them or make new contracts with other men.

What I have attempted to do here, for the convenience of those seeking a list of the women who may be their ancestors, is to give the basic information related to the marriage of each woman. I have included only the name, date and place of the contract or marriage, and the name of the husband. When only the contract is listed, I give only "DATE(cont)". My original intent was to list the parents and origin of each woman, but it was strongly suggested by Roland Roy that I limit the information to what is listed here. The other details can be found in sources such as JETTE's "Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles du Quebec". Given the scope of this (ambitious!!) project and my limited ability to type, I am more than grateful to Roland for his advice!

I have categorized the lists as my reference did:

Section One: Women from upper class families.Section Two: Women who annulled marriage contracts(Here and throughout all of the lists, in the interest of family lines, I only included the actual marriage of the girls rather than list unfulfilled contracts that never produced any of us.)Section Three: Women from Ile-de-France.Section Four: Women from NormandySection Five: Women of unknown originSection Six: Woman from other places in France

In some cases, I could not help but include some of the more interesting historical notes. Unfortunately, most of these notes are of a negative nature - dealing with death, prostitution, or adultery - but never-the-less, "VERY INTERESTING"!! In many cases, the girls married soldiers of the famous Carignan Regiment. I have tried to indicate that fact in each case.

I have tried with the utmost of my ability to avoid (correct) any mistakes in transcription, spelling, etc. Any mistakes you find will probably be those I missed. I apologize now for those that slipped by me. But I will also take the liberty of POUTING now and say, "it's better than no list at all!"

So - From me to all of you other FC descendents - ENJOY and LEARN.

THE KING'S DAUGHTERS

SECTION ONE

NAME MARRIAGE DATE HUSBAND______________________________________________________________________This first list contains those women believed to be born to upper classfamilies.

The following is a list of women that "had second thoughts." That is,they contracted marriage with one or more men prior to their actualmarriage. I am only going to list here the final marriage for eachwoman.

The following women are listed as having made contracts with one or more men, annulling the contracts and not marrying or not being heard from again. CHARON, Francoise GIRARD, Marie DE MARINNE, Jeanne MERY, Anne DESCHAMPS, Marie Madeleine OUACHE, Marie Madeleine DU BICOURT, Jeanne RAUDY, Marthe DUBIE, Marie Francoise VAILLANT, Perette FIRMIN, Lady Marie Anne SECTION THREE

DURAND, Catherine 25 Nov 1665 Pierre PICHET Quebec, PQ(Pichet had left his 1st wife in France when he came to Quebec. Hisbrother, arriving later in Quebec, told him his wife was dead. He thenmarried Catherine Durand. He learned in 1671 that his 1st wife wasalive. She died, however, on her way to Quebec. His marriage toCatherine was rehabilitated 9 Sep 1673 at Quebec.)FAYET, Anne 8 Sep 1670 Rene SIRET dit Quebec, PQ LAFLEUR

GUICHELIN, Catherine 23 Oct 1669(cont) Nicolas BUTEAU Sillery, PQ(She was taken to court 19 Aug 1675 and charged with prostitution andleading a scandalous life. The court ordered her "banished from thecity and suburbs until her husband's return. "Their 10 yr. old daughterwas living as an adopted child with Pierre BULTE and his wife, andtheir 8 yr. old son was living with Antoine TAPIN in 1681 at Neuville. She gave birth to a number of illegitimate children. She made andannulled two marriage contracts. She later married Charles TISSIAU ditSt-GERMAIN, 16 Apr 1708 at Montreal. She later married a 3rd time toCarignan soldier, Jean ROY dit LAPENSEE, 16 Feb 1716 at Montreal, PQ.)

BOURGOIS, Marie 10 Jun 1668 Jacques ANET (ANEST)(300 pound dowry) Quebec, PQ(They originally agreed to marry in 1667, but she had to sue him twicebefore the wedding took place. A son was born in 1669, and she thensued ANET and his father. She sued for separate maintenance in 1671.He married again sometime between 8 Aug 1687 and 1 Apr 1692, althoughhis wife was still living.)

GODEBY, Anne 7 Oct 1669 Julien TALUA Quebec, PQ(Julien TALUA killed Antoine ROY dit DESJARDINS at Lachine, in 1684,when he found ROY in bed with his wife. Antoine was taken to Quebecand tried, but was allowed to return to Montreal. Mme. TALUA was triedfor adultry and banished from the island of Montreal for life.)

LE BRUN, Marie 24 Feb 1668 Pierre BARBARIN dit Montreal, PQ GRANDMAISON (Carignan Soldier)Marie died 5 Aug 1689 at Lachine, captured and killed by the Iroquois.Three months earlier, two of her children had burned to death. Herdaughter Marie Madeleine married 17 Jan 1688 but her husband, JeanTILLARD, died 8 days later. She remarried 21 Jun 1688 to Andre DANIS.On the day of the massacre, Marie LE BRUN, her husband, their 7 yr. olddaughter, their 3 mo. old daughter, Marie Madeleine BARBARIN and herhusband Andre DANIS, were all killed.

LEVASSEUR, Jeanne 24 Oct 1667 Barthelemy TESSON(300 pound dowry) Quebec, PQShe was the fifth of his 6 wives. The previous 4 were in France. Theyreturned to France where she died, 29 May 1673, LaRochelle, and then hemarried a sixth time.

QUEQUEJEU, Marie 30 Oct 1667 Pierre RIVAUT Quebec, PQAfew years after she was widowed, Marie was condemned to death andexecuted 14 May 1684. The deatils are lost, but her son-in-law, PierreDORET, a Coureur de bois, was executed at the same time.

VIEL, Marie Therese 26 Oct 1671 Etienne BOYER dit(350 pound dowry) Quebec, PQ LAFONTAINE (Carignan Soldier)Mme. BOYER returned to France, possibly to clain her inheritance, andreturned pregnant in 1676. The daughter was baptized 14 jan 1677 atQue. She accused Madard CHOUART, Sieur DES GROSEILLIERS, the companionof Pierre-Esprit RADISSON, of being the father. He admitted havingrelations with her but denied that he was the father. He also claimedthat she had been seen with several men in LaRochelle, France. He wasordered to pay 200 pounds damages and she was returned to her husband.She died sometime after 28 Jul 1710.

ASSERIN, Fleurance Was present at the marriage contract ofanothe King's Daughter, Marie GIRARD, 17 Jul 1667 befor the notaryRagot. Some historians have supposed that she was Francoise ENCELINwho married Guillaume VALADE, but her name was clearly written on thedocument. She may have returned to France.BENOIT, Marie abt 1668 Pierre FAVREAU Contrecoeur, PQ (Cariganan Soldier)

BOVANT, Marie abt 1670 Jean LAFOND around Richellieu, PQTanguay states that they had a child bapt. 6 May 1671 at Sorel. Thereis no entry in Jette for this couple. Jette does show a marriagecontract, 12 Oct 1670 at Cap-de-la-Madeleine for Jean LAFOND andCatherine SENECAL. The demographic study shows the bapt. of the childwith the caption, "Found in Tanguay."

CHAUVET, Marie 16 Aug 1668 Pierre FAYE dit Quebec, PQ VILFAGNAN (Carignan Soldier)She was brought before the Sovereign Council 21 Jan 1669 and accused ofthe crime of adultry with Pierre VIVIEN and Etienne LE ROY. She was"condemned to be shaved and beaten with canes in the public squares ofthis town, and then to be confined in a secure place and to remainthere while being furnished her food by the said FAYE, if he does notprefer to take her back with him."

DESCHALETS, Madeleine 3 Sep 1668 Jean GIRON Quebec, PQShe and her sister, Claude, apppeared in court 11 March 1669 where theywere ordered to make reparation to the honor of Francoise LECLERC,another daughter of the king and wife of Michel RIFFAUT. They wereaccused of maliciously and falsely calling her a prostitute.

She was taken to court 18 Jul 1678 and was accused of living ascandalous life. She was condemned to spend four days in prison andthen leave the city of Quebec. On 15 and 18 Sep of the following year,she was again taken to court and told to leave the city or go toprison. Widowed, she made and annulled a marriage contract with JeanBeraud, 30 May 1694. 18 Nov 1698(cont) Salomon LEGUILLOT Montreal, PQ

PERODEAU, Marie 16 Sep 1669 George STEMS Quebec, PQ (From Switzerland)(She took Louis LEFEBVRE dit BATTANVILLE to court and asked forreparation for damage to her honor because he said she had committedadultery with a man named MALON. The found that LEFEBVRE had not lied,and she lost her case.)

RICHER, Georgette 6 Oct 1670 Francois DUPUIS(Dowry of 350 pounds) Quebec, PQRIVIERE, Marie 16 feb 1672 Jean RATIER dit Troi-Rivieres, PQ DU BUISSON(On 31 Oct 1679 at Troi-Rivieres, Jean was sentanced to hang for thedeath, a week earlier, of Jeanne Couc. His sentance was modified onappeal, but later upheld. However, the executioner had died and no oneelse was willing to carry out the sentance. RATIER was given thechoice of becoming the new executioner or remaining in jail until onecould be found; he took the job.)

1 comment:

This is the kind of material - all about ordinary people - that makes Canadian history really interesting, but in the schools, it's all about Talon, Frontenac, Champlain. I sure wished this had been available while I was still teaching. I've come across other, equally interesting material in the last few weeks that no one will ever hear about unless they specialize in the subject. Good stuff. Good going.